


The Mysterious Shrink Ray of Jabba Island

by nerdelation8



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Consensual Sex, Crack, Cute, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Fluff, Gundham Tanaka to the Rescue, Humor, Kazuichi finally learns to stop chasing Sonia, Macro/Micro, Mostly an excuse to make embarrassing stuff happen to Kazuichi, Nekomaru gives surprisingly good advice, Romance, Sex, Shrinking, Size Difference, Swearing, Vore, Watersports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2019-11-24 05:55:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 14,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18162236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdelation8/pseuds/nerdelation8
Summary: While on a picnic with Sonia, Gundham shrinks to only a foot tall!  It turns out that his shrinking was an accident, caused by a mysterious device that Kazuichi found!  But will Kazuichi use his powers for good?  (Spoilers: he won't.)  Will he try to implement an evil plan to shrink Sonia but be foiled by everything else on Jabba Island?  He just might!Nothing too hardcore. There's some swearing, one chapter has watersports, and one chapter has (consensual, loving, cheesy) sex.





	1. What Foul Sorcery Is This?

“W-what is this?!” Gundham cried. He stared at his hands and feet, then up at me. “Stay back, or I…I shall unleash my powers!”

Gundham Tanaka was only a foot tall. The shrinking had happened suddenly – just seconds ago, we’d been having sandwiches in this forest glen and having a pleasant conversation. Gundham had been saying something about my blond hair. Halfway through his remarks, there was a huge puff of smoke, and then the animal trainer was standing at my feet. He didn’t even reach the top of my stockings!

We forgot all about our picnic. 

“Oh my goodness!” I said, jumping up in surprise. He really had shrunk! How bizarre! I’d never seen anything like this back in Novoselic. 

I glanced around at the tropical forest, but luckily, there was no one else here.

“What foul sorcery is THIS?!” the animal trainer shouted, seeming to have recovered his bombast. He glanced back up at me, suddenly suspicious. “Could it be that the beautiful maiden I’ve been spending time with…is actually an EVIL WITCH?!” He recoiled, eyes wide. 

_I’m not a witch! Wait…did he just call me a “beautiful maiden?"_

I wasn't sure whether to be happy or offended.

Before I could say anything, all four of Gundham’s little hamsters ran down his arm, chittering. They had shrunk too. Gundham’s face lit up into a smile.

“Ah! Thank the gods above, my Four Dark Devas of Destruction are unharmed!” He started scritching at their little faces and backs. They were so pudgy and soft. “Yes you are! Oh, yes you are! Your power remains undiminished, little ones!”

It was cuteness overload. “Awwwww!” I said, squeezing my arms together. 

Gundham suddenly seemed to notice me again. He shielded his pets and snapped into an action pose. His face scrunched up in an icy glare. “No matter what dark curses you cast, I’ll not allow any harm to come to them!” 

I put my hands on my hips. “I’m not a witch!” I insisted. “I’m Sonia Nevermind, the Princess of Novoselic! When did you ever hear of a princess being a witch?!”

“Hmm…” the animal breeder said, frowning as he considered it. “Good point.”

We stared at each other, wondering what to do next. 

“But you could still be one!” Gundham said. “How do you explain THIS?!” The self-proclaimed “dark mage” gestured at himself flamboyantly, indicating his diminished height. 

“How should I know? I didn’t do it!”

“Whoever did this must have powers equal to my own!” Gundham said intensely. 

“That must be true! But it wasn’t me!”

“I want to believe you! Do you swear? Do you swear by the Necronomicon and all the ancient texts of sorcery?!” he exclaimed, gesticulating expansively.

“I…guess? Swear on anything, I didn’t do this! And even if I could shrink you like this, I wouldn’t! We’re friends!”

Gundham scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Then…apologies, Sonia. I’m sorry for doubting you.”

“As you should be,” I said with a touch of sass. “Apology accepted.”

Gundham suddenly got that look in his eye again. “Well then. Our quest begins now! We must find the one who dares curse the Supreme Overlord of Ice!! Are you with me, dark princess?”

“Yes! Let’s find out who did it!” I shouted, jumping up and throwing my arms in the air. 

I looked down and saw Gundham blushing. He was trying hard to hide his face in his scarf. “What is it?” I asked. 

“Y-your attire…s-something was revealed to me just now…”

I realized that when I jumped, my skirt must have flown up and given him a glimpse of my panties. “Oh!” I giggled. He was more embarrassed than I was!

“Oopsies! Here, if I pick you up that won’t happen again.”

Gundham nodded. I lifted him up with both hands and set him on my right shoulder. “Please don’t fall off!” I said. 

“A dark sorcerer is always vigilant! Thank you, dear Sonia, for your kindness!”

It was like having a Ken doll on my shoulder. Gundham looked super cute at this size. 

“Ohh, Gundham, you’re so kawaii!” I said. “Can I give you a hug?”

“Sure,” he said bashfully, not yet recovered from his earlier embarrassment. 

Hugging him put a huge smile on my face. His lanky body and sinister outfit looked adorable like this. I hadn’t actually hugged him before, and it gave me tingly warm fuzzies. He even smelled exciting. “Ahhh,” I said happily. Gundham was rigid at first, but he relaxed as he embraced me back. “No worries! You’re safe with me!” I said. 

When we finally pulled away, Gundham was as red as a tomato. He looked dazed, as if he’d been punched in the face but was happy about it.

“I…very much enjoyed that,” he admitted. The little animal trainer stole a glance at me from behind his scarf, and smiled. 

“Then come on!” I cried, feeling newly excited. “Let’s investigate around here and see if we can find clues!” It was going to be just like my crime shows! 

I strode down the forest trail with Gundham on my shoulder.

I didn't find out until much later that Kazuichi had been watching from the forest. He had seen everything!

"Whoa, that's crazy!" he'd said earlier, before throwing a hand over his mouth. Kazuichi gaped at the strange little device in his pocket. While watching Sonia and Gundham from the trees, he had been absentmindedly fidgeting with it when it went off. 

_What the hell kinda technology is this?! And what was it doing in the military base?_

When Sonia and Gundham started searching the area, Kazuichi realized he had to get out of there.

Luckily, they'd started walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey," the pink-haired mechanic realized as he fled the scene, "If Gundham's gonna be stuck like this for awhile, now's my chance! If I hang around Sonia enough, she'll see how awesome and mature I am! She'll definitely pick me over some shrimpy shrunken guy!" He grinned. "Heh. Shrimpy shrunken guy...I gotta say that five times fast. Shrimpy shrunken guy..."


	2. Kazuichi's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi jogs away from the crime scene and gets what he thinks is a great idea.

Kazuichi laughed to himself as he jogged away from the crime scene. He ran through the tropical forest, parallel to the island buildings. The shrinking device he'd found was amazing!

“This is so awesome! Now that I have this power-heehee!-what can I do with it?”

He gasped, struck by a great idea. “I could shrink Sonia…and then rescue her…then she’d be mine! Hee-hee! I can take her back to my place, and comfort her, and take real good care of her, and it’s only a matter of time! She’s gonna realize how awesome I am! If she sees what I’m like, she’ll _totally_ fall in love with me!”

What a marvelous idea! His heart was already pounding in excitement. 

He was going to stop at the dining hall for a snack. 

Kazuichi started singing an old techno song his folks used to play. “I’ve got the POWER!”

He kept singing like a fool until he got halfway to the cabins, at which time he segued into “Everybody Dance Now.”

 _If I do shrink Sonia, I gotta do it when she’s separated from Gundham. Hmm…maybe I’ll go by Sonia’s cabin later and see if I can get her when she’s alone,_ he thought, oblivious to how disturbing and self-centered his thoughts were.

“Oh, there’s the main building. I see the dining hall!” Kazuichi thought, tilting his head upward. The back wall of the building was only fifteen feet away. Suddenly – “OOF!” – Kazuichi's leg hit a tree root and he stumbled, trying to avoid a faceplant. The black, remote-like device fell from his pocket – “Oh crap!” – and landed on a log, wobbling and spinning. The pink haired boy reached to grab it and accidentally hit the button. 

ZAP!

A beam shot from the device. Kazuichi jerked his hand away from it like a power cord being sucked back into a vacuum. 

The pink-haired mechanic was so startled, he didn’t notice where the beam went. It had shot upwards into the dining hall. 

_D-Did I shrink?!_ he thought frantically. He tapped his chest. He looked at the trees around him. The device sat right where it had landed, not seeming any bigger than usual. 

Kazuichi sighed in relief.


	3. In the Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, after the shrink ray went through the window of the dining hall...

“Hajime?!” I said in alarm. 

My slender, brown haired classmate was sitting right where he had been a moment ago, in his chair at the diner – but now he was tiny. He couldn’t be more than an inch or two tall. 

This was _insane._ Was I going crazy?

“H-how did you…!”

He was so ridiculously small, I worried for his safety. Who would solve the island’s mysteries if he got hurt?

Hajime seemed panicked, though he was trying not to show it. He’d gone pale, and the whites showed all around his green eyes. He stared up at me as if he was seeing a ghost. _Or a giant,_ I thought.

“W-what…” The boy with the ahoge scratched his minuscule head and stood up straighter, trying to act confident. His chest rose and fell with fast breaths. “What just happened?”

“I don’t know,” I said quietly, kneeling in front of the chair so we were at eye level. I was rooted to the spot. Hajime looked like a bizarre miniature of himself. Like an action figure’s action figure. Even seeing him breathe was strange.

“You’re so tiny.”

_And still so good looking._

_Though that’s not something I should focus on right now._

Poor Hajime was clearly intimidated by me. I hadn’t moved towards him, but he took a couple preemptive steps back, his arms coming up slightly. “I’m your classmate. D-Don’t hurt me,” he said with a look of dread. 

I smiled through my nervousness. “Hajime, you know you can trust me!”

“I…I know,” he said reluctantly. “It’s just…I’m not going to lie, this is scary.”

I tried to reassure him. “Hey, easy there. I’ll move you off the seat, okay?”

“O-okay.”

Hajime was half the size of my thumb. One wrong press of a finger and he’d… _NO! Don’t think about that._ My smart, handsome classmate would be gone. His personality, all his talent…whatever it was…wiped from the world in an instant. 

Hajime scrunched his eyes shut as my hand drew closer.

My pale fingertips closed around his middle…but I immediately released them.

I chuckled nervously, brushing a bit of hair out of my eyes. “You’re so fragile. I’m afraid to touch you.”

He smiled awkwardly. “Not as afraid as I am. Maybe, uh, you could pick me up with something else?”

“Oh!” I said. “Great idea. You’re clever!” My eyes started scanning the diner. 

“How about this?” Hajime asked, pointing at the spoon on my table. I picked it up and held it out to him.

He stepped into it, wrapping his arm around the handle. “Ooh. This metal is cold.”

I had a strange vision of slipping the spoon into his mouth while he was in it. _How would he taste?_ My brain wondered.

I frowned. _Now that was a weird mental image._

“Uh…are you okay?” said Hajime. He looked spooked. “Your eyes…they were doing that thing…”

“Everything’s gonna be fine,” I said with a warm smile, lifting the spoon up. “Now I can carry you places. If you don’t mind some random classmate of yours carrying you around.”

“Can you take me back to my cabin?” Hajime asked, seemingly relieved. For the first time since he shrank, Hajime's seemed cheerful.

“Oh. I guess.” I didn’t know what I was expecting. 

Something occurred to my tiny friend. Suddenly, his good mood seemed to deflate.

“But wait. I guess I won’t be able to get out of my cabin once you drop me off there…”

“Yeah…” I chuckled. That annoying tendril of hair was in my eye again. I pushed it away. “Looks like you better stay with me.”

“Okay, Nagito,” Hajime said, looking uneasy.

* * * * *

In the tropical forest behind the diner, Kazuichi swore. _Hope that didn't hit anything important._ “Stupid shrink ray!”

“You’ve done it now!” said a familiar, high-pitched voice.

“M-Monokuma?! What are you doing here?”

“Watching you, of course! This is very entertaining,” said the bear, pushing his paw into a greasy bag of popcorn and tossing it into his mouth. 

“Well, don’t!” cried the pink-haired boy.

“May I remind you that I _run_ this killing game? I’m not going anywhere!” For a moment, Monokuma bared his claws and menacingly sharp teeth. Then he giggled.

“Oh jeez,” said Kazuichi, hands pressed to the top of his head.


	4. Kazuichi's Bad Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi tries to take Monokuma's advice, but just ends up in a worse situation.

“Should you _really_ be trusted with that thing?” Monokuma asked as Kazuichi held the shrink ray.

“Gaaah!” the pink-haired boy shouted in exasperation. 

“You just can’t stop ruining everyone’s day, can you?”

“It’s not my fault!” Kazuichi complained. “This thing has a freakin’ hair trigger!”

“Ooh, let me see,” said Monokuma, moving towards him. 

“No!” cried Kazuichi. He clutched the device tightly. “No freaking way, dude!”

“You know, this device also has a teleport button,” said Monokuma deviously. “The one on the right.”

“Wait, really?” 

“Try it!” said the bear excitedly. “Point it at the dining hall, then hit the button on yourself and see what happened up there. Where your _shrinking beam_ just went."

“Aw, sweet!” the Ultimate Mechanic shouted, pointing to himself and hitting the button. 

“AAAAH!” he cried as his body began to rush up and beam through the air. Frantic, he pressed the button again. “Nonono-"

A whooshing noise ensued, accompanied by a wave of nausea. Kazuichi didn’t realize he had hit the wrong button.

The little device ceased to carry out its previous command and began fulfilling its new one. 

The pink-haired high schooler stopped teleporting through the air. Instead, he shrank, then fell like a rock. 

Kazuichi screamed.

He descended rapidly, until several large, shiny leaves softened his fall. A tree frog stared as Kazuichi fell through the bushes. Moss cushioned the final impact. 

Kazuichi opened his eyes. He groaned. _Well, at least I’m alive,_ he thought. He felt his chest, back, and limbs. _No broken bones._

He stood up. The device-where was it? He stared around in panic. Oh, there it was, a mere twenty feet aw-

The tree frog that had been eyeing him jumped forward and stuck its tongue out. 

Kazuichi had no time to scream as the frog’s sticky tongue slurped him into its mouth. 

There was barely any light in here, and the walls glowed red from the tropical sunlight. With a cold pit in his stomach, the boy realized what had just happened. _S-Something ate me!_ “Aaah! Let me out! Let me out, you son of a-! HELP!”

The little tree frog swallowed. The pelican-like bulge in its mouth shifted abruptly into its stomach. 

Faint shouts of protest could be heard emanating from the frog.


	5. Chiaki to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chiaki shows up in the dining hall. She notices the shrunken Hajime and tries to help him.

“Uh, Nagito?”

“Huh?” the boy with the wild hair asked, surprised to hear another person’s voice.

He turned around, realizing he could not hide what he was carrying. “Oh, hi, Chiaki!” he said in an easy voice. “How are you?”

A look of surprise briefly crossed her face. “What’s going on? Why is Hajime sitting on your spoon?” she asked in her lethargic way.

Nagito explained. He’d been sitting and eating, having a conversation with Hajime, when a mysterious burst of light appeared. When it faded, his brown-haired classmate had dwindled to just an inch tall.

“I see,” said Chiaki.

Hajime thought they were both taking this a little too well. 

“Hey, Chiaki?” he said, gesturing to himself. The look in his eyes cried HELP. But the Ultimate Gamer had dozed off. 

After two or so seconds, she woke from her microsleep and continued talking as if nothing had happened.

“Oh, well, do you know how it happened?” she said, looking at Hajime. _How can she sound so calm?!_

Just then, Chiaki noticed the panicked expression on Hajime’s face. 

“We don’t,” admitted Nagito. “Although being gifted Ultimates, I’m sure one of you will discover the answer long before I could!”

There was a weird tension in the air. 

“Hajime,” Chiaki said, “do you need someone to take care of you while you’re shrunk like that?”

Nagito said, “No need to trouble yourself, Chiaki. I told him he could stay with me.”

The thought of Hajime living with that loopy attempted murderer was enough to make Chiaki’s skin crawl. 

If she had any skin, of course. 

“Oh, you don’t need to do that. I’m happy to help,” she said more strongly. 

Nagito smiled even more broadly. “I assure you, he’s perfectly safe with me.”

 _They might passive-aggressive each other to death if I don’t say anything,_ thought Hajime. 

“Hey, Nagito, can I stay with Chiaki?”

It was funny. This almost felt like asking to sleep over at a friend’s house.

The Ultimate Lucky Student looked down at him with surprise and slight disappointment. Then he gave a self-effacing smile. 

“Oh, of course you’d want a real Ultimate helping you out. Trash like me would never do!” he said obsequiously, and extended the spoon with Hajime in it to the gamer girl. Such a comment from anyone else might seem sarcastic, but Nagito meant it one hundred percent. “I could never hope to compete with one of you.”

 _Wow,_ Hajime thought. _Nagito’s self-loathing had a positive effect for once._

“Thanks, Nagito,” Hajime said, forcing a polite smile.

Chiaki accepted the spoon in her delicate hands. “Yes, thanks, Nagito,” she said. “I figured you’d have other things to do than look after him.”

“Oh no, that’s quite alright. I know neither of you can stand me. All you Ultimates wish I was still tied up…”

“No, we never…”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Nagito stated matter-of-factly, and turned his head down for a moment. When he looked back up at them, the strange gleam was in his eyes again. A chill went down Hajime's spine. 

With a manic smile that didn’t match his calm voice, Nagito continued. “I know you all could never trust me for what I did to Teruteru. But believe me. It was all for the sake of hope! Even Hajime’s misfortune will soon lead us to a blossoming and shining hope!”


	6. Escaping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi works hard to escape from the frog's belly.

It stank in the frog's stomach. With uncharacteristically fast thinking, Kazuichi pulled a screwdriver from his jumpsuit pocket. "Good thing I'm a mechanic!" he exclaimed. He stabbed with all of his might into the side of the creature’s stomach. “LET ME GO!” he yelled at the frog, jabbing with the tool as hard as he could. 

A couple minutes later, the Ultimate Mechanic was starting to panic. He'd been stabbing with the screwdriver for a really long time, but it was no use…he couldn’t get through the slimy stomach wall. 

Kazuichi jabbed again and again, a stream of profanity issuing from his mouth. Still, nothing happened. 

_D-Dammit! Stupid frog!_ Kazuichi thought about his life. _This isn't the way I want to die!_

The frog blinked in discomfort. It shifted its legs a couple of times. The frog closed its eyes and opened them a few more times, looking irritated. 

Then it vomited out its tiny prey. The high schooler rolled awkwardly onto the moss, his face and clothes sticky with partially-digested flies and beetles. 

Kazuichi vomited too. The frog oriented towards the motion and sound. It cocked its head. “N-No! G-Get out of here!” the Ultimate Mechanic cried, fear in his eyes. _I don't want to do that all over again!_

The frog considered him for a moment, then, seeming to have learned its aversion, hopped off into the bushes. 

Kazuichi gasped and wiped the mess from his clothes. He was terrified, but alive. As adrenaline coursed through his body, Kazuichi stared up into the eyes of a colossal Monokuma. 

“Awww, and it was just gettin’ good!” said the bear.

Kazuichi shook with rage. “YOU! Ffff-fuck you! You said there was a teleport button!”

“There was,” said Monokuma. “You misused it. You pressed the ‘shrink’ button while teleporting.”

“You…you son of a-“

“Puhuhu!” laughed the bear, and near-instantly disappeared.

Frowning, Kazuichi stomped over to the device, indicated the dining hall, and pressed the teleport button.


	7. Hey, There's A Bug in Here...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi teleports himself into an even worse situation. Warning: This chapter contains some bathroom stuff, but it's not too explicitly described.

_Yes, it’s working!_ the Ultimate Mechanic thought. _Once I teleport to the dining hall, it's only a matter of time before someone finds me!_

Kazuichi finished beaming through the air, then suddenly found himself standing on a grate. In front of him was a wall of polished white. 

“What the-“

He heard a sound like a massive garden hose. _Wait, wh-_

Kazuichi began to turn around. But before he could see what that noise was, he was blasted with a foul yellow stream. 

He was in a urinal, and someone was pissing on him. 

Kazuichi started to scream, but soon learned that was a bad idea. He fell to the porcelain floor, arms curled over his head.

_This can’t be happening!_

“Hahah!” the user of the urinal said. “There’s some stupid bug in there.”

The rushing stream was so loud, and his eyes were clamped shut so hard, that the Ultimate Mechanic had no idea who his tormentor was. That was probably for the best.

Fuyuhiko grinned a mean grin and made sure to hit the insect (or is it a spider? Eh, fuck it) with the full force of his stream.

After a long time, Fuyuhiko was finally done relieving himself. The little gangster zipped up, washed his hands, and whistled as he walked out the door. 

Several seconds passed.

Shaking like a leaf in a windstorm, Kazuichi peeked out from his curled-up position. Whoever that was, they were gone. He stood up. With overwhelming disgust, he spat the nasty taste out of his mouth.

His jumpsuit was definitely ruined. 

_Uggggh,_ Kazuichi thought. _Words can’t describe how gross this is._ He ripped the stinking suit off his body and threw it onto the distant floor. He realized his hat was still sopping wet too. It was his favorite hat, but he’d have to part with it. He tossed the hat too. _Time to teleport out of here._

But wait…where was the device?

Kazuichi glanced side to side, frantically. With a chill, he realized the shrink ray hadn’t come with him. It must still be in the forest, just outside the back side of the dining hall. 

_No._

“No!” he shouted. “No, no…no.” His last couple no’s devolved into whimpering. 

How was he going to get out of here? “If I can’t find the device, say goodbye to ever shrinking Sonia. And say goodbye to ever getting back to normal!”

The shrunken mechanic peered over the edge of the porcelain. The length of the drop made him dizzy, but he had to get down there somehow. _I can’t stay in this freakin’ bathroom forever!_

He heard the distant sounds of several people talking in the dining hall.

“Help!” he began shouting. “HEEELP!”


	8. Searching for Clues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gundham and Sonia hope a more thorough search may turn up more clues. A couple of other students join their search.

After ten minutes of searching for clues, the Ultimate Princess and the Ultimate Animal Breeder were hungry, so they left the forest and made it back to the dining hall. Gundham’s hamsters tentatively sniffed in Sonia’s direction. 

Sonia's delicate fingers opened to the hamsters as she gave a warm smile. “It’s okay, little cuties! I won’t hurt you.”

_My God,_ thought Gundham Tanaka. He looked up at her, kneeling on the floor in that cute dress as she smiled lovingly at his pets. His heart melted. _She's irresistible._

The chubbiest hamster approached her warily, stood on its hind legs, then brushed its fuzzy head against her fingertip.

Sonia turned to Gundham, stars in her eyes. “They’re so CUTE! Gundham, you’re so lucky to have them.”

Under her gaze, Gundham barely succeeded at not melting into a puddle. _Stay cool, stay cool! I'm a dark sorcerer. I'm Gundham Tanaka, the supreme overlord of ice._

“Marvelous, aren’t they? They will trust you,” the foot-tall sorcerer said. “They only require some time.” He walked right up to her hand and turned to his pencil eraser-sized Dark Devas of Destruction. Gundham added, "And some treats." He pulled a minuscule snack from his pocket and handed it to the hamster that approached Sonia. Eager for treats, its cohorts followed. They began sniffing cautiously at her. “Ah, yes, my Devas. The princess of darkness’s powers align well with yours.”

Sonia put her other hand to her cheek. A thoughtful mood came over her. “You know the mystery of who shrank you? I’ve been thinking, and maybe it wasn’t a who at all. It could be a what.”

Gundham’s face lit up. “You mean like an ancient cursed temple?”

“Or a magical artifact! There are artifacts said to do this. There’s this legendary mask I saw on Wikipedia that’s said to shrink people…but it’s just a legend. And it's in a different part of the world...”

“A mask of evil?” Gundham asked, his interest piqued. 

“It wasn’t evil exactly. It only curses bad people - like, serial killer bad. Supposedly.”

“I am no such thing!” said Gundham, offended. 

“Of course not, Gundham. You might be a dark sorcerer, but you're not _evil.”_

“Ah, princess. Your powers of perception are strong! Indeed, I would never slaughter innocents.”

Sonia struck a dramatic pose. “But woe to any _wizard_ who starts a fight with you,” she said, giggling.

“O-Of course!” he laughed.

After awhile, their faces grew more serious. Sonia took a sip of tea. Then she said, “Gundham, we have to figure out what caused you to shrink.”

“Yes," Gundham said, his finger pressed pensively to his chin. "This height is not ideal. Where should we start?”

“Perhaps we should return to the scene of the crime…or rather, the curse...”

They thought for awhile. 

"We've been calling this a curse," Sonia thought out loud. "And it must be one. At least, it must be magic. There's no invention that can shrink people."

"It's definitely a curse," Gundham agreed. "This has dark magic written all over it."

Suddenly, their classmate emerged from the men's room. 

“Greetings, Fuyuhiko,” said Gundham from on top of the table.

“Hi,” said Sonia, sitting cross-legged in the chair. 

“Hi, Gundh-WHOA!” Fuyuhiko yelped. “What happened to you?!”

“Ah, that is the question,” the animal trainer said, finger to his temple.

“He shrank!” said the Ultimate Princess. “We were having a nice talk in the forest and…suddenly he was this size!”

Fuyuhiko was totally flabbergasted. He stepped closer to the table, staring at the tiny figure standing on it. “Am I dreamin’ right now? Holy shit…”

“Unfortunately, you’re not,” said Gundham. His deep and dramatic voice seemed to fit the occasion. “Something or someone has cursed me!”

The Ultimate Yakuza pinched himself. _This can’t be real…but…shit. I guess it is._

As he began to recover from his shock, Fuyuhiko laughed. “Damn, I guess this is real. Well, it means one thing. I’m no longer the shortest one here!”

“Hehehe,” Sonia giggled. 

“True,” said Gundham.

Sonia said, “We’re going to investigate and find out how to fix him! But first, we have to find the ancient temple or crazy curse that did it.”

“Fuyuhiko. Would you lend us your aid?” asked Gundham, extending his arm like he was in the Lord of the Rings.

“Sure,” said the Ultimate Yakuza. “There’s nothin’ else to do around here.”

He stopped. “With a couple conditions. if I run into some crazy shrink ray, or evil artifact, I’ll let you know and then I’m outta there. Fast as I can run.” He pointed at Gundham. “I do not want _that_ happenin’ to me.”

“That’s fair enough,” said Sonia.

“AND,” he said, “Peko has to come with.”

“If she wants to, that’s fine with us.”

"She'll come," said Fuyuhiko without any doubt.

Gundham turned to Sonia. “I can see why he would not wish to experience this, being somewhat miniature already.”

“Gundham!” said Sonia, somewhat embarrassed.

“Hey!” objected Fuyuhiko. “You callin’ _me_ miniature? That’s rich.”

“Apologies,” said Gundham, turning red with embarrassment. He was a little confused why Fuyuhiko’s earlier joke was okay but this one was not.

“Gee, thanks,” the Yakuza retorted. “You guys want my help or not?” 

Sonia said, “You know we’d appreciate your help.”

Several hours later, Gundham, Sonia, Peko, and Fuyuhiko were trekking through the tropical forest. The sun was noticeably lower in the sky.

“We’ve been over and over this area, and we ain’t turned up nothin’,” said Fuyuhiko, feeling bored. He pushed a vine away from his face. “We’ve been out here for how long?”

“Five hours, young master,” replied Peko. She always had survival gear on her, ranging from a compass, knife, sword, ropes, and most unusually for their age group, a watch. 

“Oh, goodness,” said Sonia. “Five hours?! It doesn’t feel like it.”

“Time is as nothing to you and I,” stated Gundham. “Being individuals of such exalted power.”

“That must be it,” Sonia giggled.

Fuyuhiko had tolerated the Ultimate Breeder’s ridiculousness for long enough. It was starting to grate on him. “Gundham, I like ya and all, but can you lay off the magic act?”

“’Tis not an act. For someone with a power level as high as my own…”

“Miss me with the power level crap!” Fuyuhiko said irritably. “We all know you want to impress Sonia, but seriously. She already likes you.”

Gundham had started blushing. His head seemed to retract into his scarf. “I-It...has nothing to do with Sonia…I truly _was_ born in the pits of hell, with a body so poisonous no one could dare to touch-“

“Gundham,” Sonia said. “Fuyuhiko’s getting hangry. Best not to rub it in.”

The dark sorcerer looked at the Ultimate Princess. Then he looked at the Ultimate Gangster.

“I...I shall not ‘rub it in.’ My apologies.”

“Eh, thanks,” Fuyuhiko said. “Hey, it’s about time for me to be gettin’ back. This was a nice hike and all, but I’m startin’ to get bored.”

“Do you mind if we go back now, Gundham and Peko?” asked Sonia.

Peko said, “If it’s what you wish.”

Fuyuhiko gave her a look as if to say, _But how do_ you _feel?_

“And I would prefer to be done, too,” she added. A ghost of a smile appeared on Fuyuhiko's face as his and Peko's eyes met for a moment. 

Sonia's suspicions were confirmed. There was definitely something going on between those two.

Gundham said, “I would like to get back and replenish my power level.”

“Sounds good then!” said Sonia. 

As they walked back, they stopped speculating on the cause of Gundham’s diminishment and began discussing the many delicious foods in the diner. Peko preferred the fruit-filled pastries, while Fuyuhiko loved a certain type of noodle soup with pork. Gundham regretted the fact that he had to eat animals, but admitted that the mahi mahi was incredible. Sonia loved Swiss chocolate. She discussed another type of chocolate found in her own country of Novoselic, and the others asked about it. 

“Gahh, it sounds so delicious,” said Fuyuhiko. “I know what I’m eating soon as we get back to the diner.”

All at once Gundham bellowed, “WHO DARES PIERCE MY FLESH?!”

Everyone turned in alarm. 

The diminutive sorcerer shooed a mosquito off his neck. “Back, ye fiend!”

Peko, Fuyuhiko, and Sonia all laughed. “You laugh,” said Gundham, “but to me it’s the size of a hawk!” 

Peko brought her finger and thumb silently together and flicked the mosquito with all her might. The insect was dead before it hit the ground.

Soon, the dining hall came into view. Sore and tired, everyone was looking forward to a hot meal.

Gundham said, “Perhaps the answer could be found in the great library. If this island is home to any hidden temples or ancient witches, surely their legend has been recorded.”

“Great idea!” said Sonia. “We might find the answer in a book. Oh, I love libraries.”

“Let’s hunt for it tomorrow,” said Peko.

“Yeah, tomorrow,” said Fuyuhiko, slapping at a mosquito on his arm. “Peko’s right. And the library’s INDOORS. None of these damned bugs.”


	9. A Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone walks into the bathroom. Will Kazuichi be rescued?

Heavy footsteps reverberated down the hallway, and someone opened the door.

Kazuichi looked towards it expectantly.

A hulking muscle man in a white tank top, black jacket, and loose jeans barreled through the doorway. It was Nekomaru.

_Hey, someone’s here! I hope he doesn’t have to shit…_

“Hey!” Kazuichi yelled, waving his arms. “HEY, NEKOMARU!”

The hulking man turned. “Huh? Is someone talking to me?”

He glanced under the stalls. The voice wasn't coming from there. Glancing around again, his eyes suddenly spotted the ridiculously small mechanic, sitting on the rim of a urinal.

“WHOA!” the Ultimate Trainer boomed in surprise. “HOLY SHIT!”

“Aak!” cried Kazuichi, covering his ears. “Not so loud!”

“AW MAN! WHAT ARE…” Kazuichi kept clasping his ears. Nekomaru bent over a bit with his hands on his knees. He said more quietly, “What are you doing there? Why are you so small?!”

“Well, uh..I…” No way was Kazuichi gonna divulge his accidental golden shower. “I was just trying to pee, and well…I ended up like this!”

Nekomaru laughed heartily. Suddenly, he winced, grabbing his lower belly. “UUUGH! Sorry bro, I GOTTA SHIIIT!”

“Oh God,” said Kazuichi as Nekomaru turned and ran towards the nearest stall. 

Five agonizing minutes later, there was a final flush. As the Ultimate Trainer proudly exited the stall, poor Kazuichi’s eyes were watering. The expression of horror on his face would take a long time to dissipate, much like the smell pervading the bathroom.

“AHAHA!” cried Nekomaru. “SUCCESS! Now that that’s done, I can help you out!”

“You better wash your hands!” winced Kazuichi.

“Of course, my pink friend!”

Nekomaru did so.

Turning to the mechanic, he laughed again. “It’s weird seeing you so tiny! We’ll have to fix that!”

Hiyoko Saionji, walking past the bathrooms to the drinking fountain, heard Nekomaru’s booming voice echoing inside the men’s room. He was calling something his “pink friend.” Holy shit, he was even TALKING to it. She spat the water she was sipping back into the drinking fountain. “Ugh!” she said in disgust, and covered her ears as she walked away.

Back in the men’s room, Nekomaru finished drying his hands. He turned to Kazuichi. “Let’s get you out of here!” 

Thick meaty fingers grabbed the Ultimate Mechanic before he could say anything. 

“Hey, your clothes are all wet! Did you have an accident while you were shrinking, dude?”

Kazuichi’s face turned bright red. Telling the truth in this case would make things worse.

“It’s alright bro! Happens to the best of us! Want to rinse your stuff off?”

“Uh…yeah,” said Kazuichi, unable to move in Nekomaru’s hairy mitts. He was surprised at how nice Nekomaru was being. Despite all the shouting and talk of bowel movements, apparently he was a nice person. “Yeah, but can you get my jumpsuit and my hat? They’re on the floor. I didn’t want to wear them after…well…you know.”

“No problem!” Nekomaru bellowed. He reached down, grabbed the disgusting peed-on clothes and set them in the sink. Is he being a good friend, wondered Kazuichi, or is he just not grossed out by anything? 

Nekomaru set Kazuichi down on the back wall of the sink. This sink had a small grate with holes at the bottom. Luckily, they were too small for Kazuichi or his hat to fall through. Nekomaru turned the faucet on a bit too strongly and a huge torrent of water came out. “Whoops,” he said, dialing it down to a trickle. 

He set Kazuichi down in the sink with his clothes, then squeezed some soap out for him to use.

Then he walked to the next sink over to wash his own hands again. 

“Hey Nekomaru?” asked the pink-haired guy. 

“Yeah? What you need, bro?”

“I…I kinda lied earlier. Truth is…I accidentally shrunk myself.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Could you take me to where I dropped my shrinking device? I…accidentally dropped it outside the bathroom window when I started shrinking,” he lied. 

“Sure!” he said. “A little walk is no problem for the Ultimate Trainer!!”

Kazuichi grinned a little sheepishly. “Hey, uh…thank you, Nekomaru. For helping me out of this. You’re a real bro,” he said, stating it in a way that Nekomaru would understand. 

“I told you, bro! No problem!” Nekomaru smiled with his big shiny teeth.

“Could you hide me til we get there? I’d be embarrassed if someone saw me like this.” Especially Sonia.

“Hell, I’d be too!” he said, and put Kazuichi into his pocket before walking down the stairs. 

As he sat in the warm, sweaty pocket, Kazuichi tried not to think about the part of Nekomaru that was right next to him.

_Good thing he was the one that found me and not someone who’d point and laugh._

A minute later, the Ultimate Trainer stood behind the dining hall in the forest. 

“You lost it all the way back here, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s a little black device with rounded edges, kinda like a remote. It’s a little smaller than a phone.”

“You throw it out the window or something?”

“Uh…I’d rather not talk about it.”

Since there was no one else around, Nekomaru took him out of the pocket. Maybe he’d be able to spot it through the tropical plants and trees.

Nekomaru turned his thick neck. His buff body turned around, searching for anything unusual. 

“I'm sure it's around here somewhere!”

Suddenly, Nekomaru spotted something black and shiny. He walked over to it. “This what you’re looking for?”

“Yeah!” said Kazuichi excitedly. “That’s it!”

“I’ll hand it to you then. You’re the one who knows how to use it!”\ He put the device in his hand next to the pink haired guy.

Kazuichi turned the dials and got the device set up. “Alright Nekomaru, just set me on that rock and press this button, and I’ll be back to normal size!”

“Alright!”

Nekomaru did so. The strange beam of light flashed, Kazuichi’s body rocketed up past than the ferns and grasses surrounding the rock, and soon he was at his regular height again.

“Hey, there you go! I knew we’d get you back to normal!” Nekomaru beamed.

“Thanks, man!” said Kazuichi. “Thanks for all the help! Just…don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“No worries, I won’t tell,” said Nekomaru. “Hey, I gotta get back to the weight room. Akane’s waiting for me!”

“Have fun!” said Kazuichi. He was so thrilled to be back to normal, even if he and his outfit were still dripping with water. He’d go home, throw all of this stuff in the dryer, and then get back to his plan of shrinking Sonia.


	10. Lying in Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi tries again to implement his plan.

It was the next day. Kazuichi had tailed Sonia as she'd gone to the beach house, carrying her bag with her swimsuit inside. He was pretty sure she hadn't seen him. Miss Sonia was currently changing inside the building, preparing to sunbathe on the beach. From what he could make out from her earlier conversation with Ibuki, Kazuichi knew Ibuki was planning to meet Sonia at this beach in about ten minutes. But right now she was alone.

The Ultimate Mechanic waited at the edge of the tropical forest, excited for Sonia to leave the beach house. He had his shrinking device ready.

The door opened.

“You’re NOT gonna ruin this for me!” Kazuichi muttered. Pointing the device through a gap in the bushes, Kazuichi aimed it at Sonia and pressed the button. 

One moment, Sonia was walking happily out of the beach house with a foot-tall sorcerer on her shoulder. The next moment, she felt dizzy. A strange rush came over her. 

“S-Sonia? Sonia!” Gundham’s deep voice came from above her. Further above her than it usually was…

“Ohhh…” she said, holding her head. She turned around and saw a massive gothic boot with crisscrossing straps over the zipper. Above it was the bottom hem of a long, dark coat. Wait, that coat belonged to…

She looked up. “Gundham?!”

Had the Ultimate Breeder grown to giant size? One of his hamsters scurried down his sleeve. It tilted its head as if inspecting Sonia.

Gundham’s eyes widened, just as surprised as the hamster was, and with gentle body language, he moved to pick her up. He was standing on the walkway in front of the beach house. She tore her eyes away from him and noticed that he was still about a foot tall compared to their surroundings. _If he’s small…I must be TINY. An inch tall, at the very most._

“Oh my God! I’m even smaller than you!”

The Supreme Overlord of Ice stared at the princess. Her life was literally in his hands. _Wh-What do I do?!_

Gundham tried to breathe deeply. _The Supreme Overlord remains calm in every situation! No matter how dangerous._ In his best protective voice he said, “Sonia, do not fear. I will let no harm come to you.”

“Dammit!” Kazuichi realized. Gundham was with her! Did she bring him in her bag?!

_That girl will be MINE, dammit! No animal breeder with a chuuni complex can take her away from me!_

Frowning, the pink-haired stalker decided to simply shrink Gundham even smaller. He made sure the dial was adjusted right, pointed it at the sorcerer, and hit the button.

At that very moment, the Ultimate Breeder moved his body suddenly. The beam hit a palm tree behind him. 

"Dammit!" said Kazuichi.

“Gundham!” Sonia cried. She saw the tree behind them shrink. She stumbled backwards in the Ultimate Breeder’s arms, suddenly very afraid. “Watch out!”

Sonia prayed, _Don't let that beam hit him or me! If we get much smaller, we’ll be screwed!_

“Who was that?” Gundham asked, turning suspiciously towards the sound of Kazuichi's expletive. The foot-tall sorcerer struck a pose and put on his most intimidating glare. “If you are the mage causing this, come out and duel me like a man!” After a second, he added, “Or…a woman, if that be the case. COME AND FIGHT!”

The bushes and trees rustled. 

Fiercely angry, Gundham took off at a run towards the forest. 

Kazuichi groaned in frustration. 

“Come on!” Gundham shouted, starting to feel enraged. “Who dares challenge dark sorcerer Gundham Tanaka? SHOW YOURSELF!”

At his wit’s end, Kazuichi adjusted the device again. He had a better plan. He’d enlarge Sonia, grab ahold of her, then shrink her. Leave that idiot Gundham behind!

Frantically, the mechanic adjusted the dial, trained the white bead of the device on Sonia and zapped. 

But Kazuichi had made a mistake. The beam had accidentally hit Gundham.

The Ultimate Breeder abruptly expanded to regular size. 

_Now to catch the villain responsible for this!_ he thought.

Gundham traced the beam’s origin towards Kazuichi’s location. Furious, he began to run. Kazuichi turned tail and started to escape. 

But Gundham’s feet were swift. Carefully cupping Sonia in his hand, he ran through the forest. Soon he spied the culprit. “Got you, foul fiend!” he cried, and stopped cold. "KAZUICHI!"

Kazuichi let out a little yelp. Rage in his eyes, Gundham hid his mouth under his scarf and got into a battle pose. Then he brought both his arms dramatically to his side. Was he grabbing something from his coat pocket?

Suddenly the Ultimate Breeder’s arms shot out. 

_A gun?!_

The ultimate mechanic yelped in fear, tripped backwards on a branch, and fell on his butt as Gundham extended his palms and yelled “HADOUUKEN!” 

_Aaargh! Of course it wasn’t a gun! Just more eighth-grade fantasy bullshit!_

A familiar weight in his pocket reminded The Ultimate Mechanic of something. As Gundham raced toward him, Kazuichi's hand flew to his pocket. In a quick movement, he pointed it at Gundham, made sure it was set to "shrink," and hit the button as hard as he could.


	11. The Upper Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi gains the upper hand.

Gundham’s anger had been able to suppress his fear until this moment. When he was just a foot tall, righteous rage had driven him on. But now, as even Sonia began to dwarf him, he panicked. 

He barely came up to the shrunken Sonia’s waist. A colorful beetle the size of a man bustled past him, headed somewhere in a hurry. Every leaf Gundham saw looked the size of a car. 

The princess’s eyes opened in alarm. Standing on the forest floor, she reached for Gundham.

Suddenly, strong yellowish fingers closed around her. Kazuichi was scooping her up through the air, lifting her farther and farther away from the guy she loved. 

“NO!” she screamed. “GUNDHAM!”

“SONIA!” he howled, reaching for her despite the futility. “He won’t get away with this!”

She was suddenly brought before the jumpsuited mechanic's face.

“I’ve got you!” Kazuichi exclaimed. His sharp teeth grinned. His pink eyes stared at her excitedly. As Sonia recoiled in fear, he suddenly turned and began walking through the forest. Back to the main island road. 

“No!” Sonia cried as the verdant tropical forest rushed past her. “You can’t leave Gundham!” 

“Oh, don’t worry about him,” the Ultimate Mechanic said. He kept walking forward. “He'll be fine. He can talk to animals or whatever.”

_You can't just dismiss him like that!_

“PUT ME DOWN!”

The mechanic paused mid-step. Disappointment crossed his face.

“Hey, c’mon Sonia, I’m not gonna hurt you. You can live with me. No one will hurt you!” he smiled cheerfully. “No one will try to murder you in the killing game! I’ll take good care of you and we can get to know each other better!”

The normal way he said it sent a chill down Sonia’s spine. This guy was talking about kidnapping her and leaving their shrunken classmate to fend for himself in the tropical forest.

_God only knows what could happen to Gundham! And to me…_

Sonia shouted a few expletives. “I don’t WANT to get to know you! Now UNSHRINK me and help me find Gundham, you motherf-”

Kazuichi was taken aback. “You swearing just seems wrong,” he said. He sighed in exasperation as her tiny arms punched his fingers. “I don’t know what you see in that chuuni case anyway. He lives in a fantasyland.”

 _Not as much as you do!_ Sonia thought. "You've got to find Gundham and unshrink me!" Despite her best efforts, she was starting to freak out.

“He doesn’t deserve a beautiful princess like you…” Kazuichi said with a smile. His fingers moved towards her hair. There was dark grease trapped under his fingernails. 

She froze in fear. “G-Get away from me!”

His fingers stopped in midair. “You know I’m a nice guy, really.”

The princess shuddered. 

Kazuichi sighed. "I guess...I guess it's not really fair to leave Gundham in the jungle. I'll go back for him, and you can both live with me!" He grinned at her. Then he pondered the situation some more. _I'll have to keep them in separate places, or I'll never get a chance to talk to her..._

With sudden strength, Sonia whipped around to the part of Kazuichi’s hand where his finger met his thumb. She bit down as hard as she could.

“Gaah!” the Ultimate Mechanic exclaimed, opening his hand slightly and dropping her.

Sonia fell. The metallic taste of blood was in her mouth. _Take that, you creep!_

Gundham ran at top speed through the undergrowth. He had the towering Kazuichi back in sight again, but he was still so far away! Gundham kept racing ahead. Gasping for breath, he thought, _Tanaka the Forbidden One might need to start working out._

Sonia landed on some foliage. Green and yellow striped leaves bounced to break her fall. Losing her balance, Sonia tumbled through the gaps in the leaves and fell to the forest floor. 

“Miss Sonia, you don’t have to be afraid of me,” said Kazuichi. He fumbled through the foliage trying to find her. The shrinking device tumbled from his pocket. "We'll...we'll find Gundham. I promise! Just come back, I don't want to leave you here..."

 _Dammit!_ Kazuichi thought. His whole plan was ruined. They were never supposed to see his shrink ray. He had wanted to discreetly zap Sonia, rescue her, and after she lived with him for awhile, maybe she'd give him a chance. _But that was never a good plan, was it? Gundham was always going to ruin things sooner or later. That annoying poser..._

Giant fingers plunged through the foliage. Sonia dodged and ran, half-afraid she'd be found, half-afraid she’d be accidentally stepped on. Kazuichi kept saying he was worried about her, but she ignored him.

Eventually, Gundham got closer to the towering figure. His legs burned. Pausing frequently to breathe, he said, “Now, *huff*, Dark Devas *huff* of Destruction, *huff* it’s your time to help.” He whispered some instructions to them. The four hamsters leapt from his sleeve and bounded ahead.


	12. Rescued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gundham Tanaka saves the day.

Gundham’s Dark Devas of Destruction ran up Kazuichi’s yellow jumpsuit in all directions, distracting him. But Kazuichi didn't realize what they were.

“Aaghh! Stupid bugs! Stupid forest!"

Every time he tried to slap his clothes, the hamsters dodged. It was a marvelous distraction. Gundham normally wouldn’t send his Devas into such danger, but he had to save Sonia.  
He ran for the shrinking device. 

When Gundham was close, he signaled for the hamsters to return to him. Squeaking almost inaudibly, they charged down Kazuichi’s leg and ran for the device. The mechanic kept scratching at his jumpsuit.

Finally spotting Gundham near the device, Kazuichi jumped for Gundham but the sorcerer dodged. To Gundham, the shrinking remote was the size of a boulder. With the hamsters in hot pursuit, he turned its dial to Grow. Then he scrambled down in front of the device. “Hit the button!” he commanded.

The four adorable rodents jumped up and dogpiled onto the button, squeaking. But their efforts weren't successful. They weighed almost nothing at all. “JUMP!” Gundham cried, as Kazuichi’s hand raced towards them, and the beam finally shot from the device.

The Ultimate Breeder got taller and taller. As Gundham approached his regular height, Kazuichi stopped trying to grab the remote and stared at the spectacle before him. Gundham reached down and snatched the shrink ray. When he stood back up, the Ultimate Breeder was around ten feet tall. 

At that moment, Kazuichi realized he was screwed.

He attempted to wrest the device away from Gundham, but he lost quickly. Then he tried to run, but Gundham caught up to him in just a few steps. With no other options, the mechanic crouched down to the underbrush in fear.

“KAZUICHI!” Gundham shouted. Kazuichi was pushed backwards, then held down by a bandaged hand and a knee-high boot. His frighteningly tall classmate pointed the machine at him.

“You would dare use this technology to minimize Sonia?” cried Gundham. “To what foul end?! Such power is not a joke!”

“I wasn’t gonna hurt her! I swear!”

“You tried to kidnap her! And left me in the forest at half an inch tall!”

"No! I was going to-" 

“Give him a taste of his own medicine!” shouted Sonia. 

Gundham smiled vengefully and lifted the device, but then he hesitated. Where had that voice come from?

“P-Please don’t!” Kazuichi pleaded. “I'm begging you! I got shrunk by it earlier and it wasn’t very-"

“SILENCE, mortal! Sonia, where are you?”

“Here, Gundham!” she said, climbing onto a broad leaf. The Dark Devas of Destruction chittered in her arms.

A smile of relief appeared on the Ultimate Breeder’s face. He reached down softly and let her climb onto his hand.

“Dark princess, I hope this works.”

“No matter what happens, Gundham…I really like you.” Her cerulean eyes gazed into his. 

The Supreme Overlord of Ice blushed deep pink. Sonia was so lovely, it was hard to look at her, so Gundham pushed his face into his scarf. “I like you too, Sonia.”

Kazuichi’s heart felt like it was ripping in two. 

“Can I kiss you, Princess?” the Ultimate Breeder asked. 

“Yes!” the princess cried, jumping into the air.

Gundham was unfathomably large. His face alone was the size of an apartment building, but Sonia was not afraid. Gundham knew just how to handle precious living things. He brought her to his lips with infinite care and placed the softest, most delicate kiss on her tiny face.

A wave of pleasure passed through Sonia’s body.

One of the Devas did a backflip.

“Oh, Gundham,” Sonia said. 

They stared at one another tenderly until Gundham said, “Time to unshrink you. And my wicked familiars!”

Setting her down in a safe place, Gundham adjusted the device and pressed it. Sonia and the hamsters accelerated through the air and soon reached normal size. 

“You did it!" Sonia cried in excitement. "Thank you!”

As she jumped up and down, Gundham’s bashfulness finally gave way. Embracing the princess in a bear hug, a smile arced across his face like a rainbow. 

_Just kill me now,_ Kazuichi thought. 

Just then, a familiar voice cried "OH NO!"

Everyone turned to see the pink bunny Monomi running off the path. Her arms flew up in distress. “Th-That’s not very nice!” she cried plaintively, pointing at the scene. “Gundham, you’re stepping on Kazuichi! And why are you so big?!”


	13. We Found the Culprit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia and Gundham explain what happened to their classmates. They head back to Chiaki's cabin to unshrink Hajime.

“Kazuichi had a shrink ray!” Sonia explained to Monomi. “He shrank Gundham with it, and then me! That little creep tried to kidnap me!”

“Shame on you, Kazuichi!” Monomi said. “You big meanie!” Then she paused. “Oh, THAT shrink ray! I know that one! It was supposed to be a fun Easter egg for silly hijinks, so we left it in the military base for you to find!” Then her face fell. “That…was before Monokuma showed up and ruined everything...” She facepalmed. 

“Did I hear ‘Easter egg?’?” said Chiaki, coming down the path with a portable game console in her hands.

After the situation was explained to her, the Ultimate Gamer said, “You know what? Hajime was shrunk too! He was in the dining hall when it happened.”

The students turned and looked at Kazuichi. 

“”Oh, th…that was an accident! See, I tripped, and it went off and hit something through the window. I wanted to see what it was, but there were some…uh…technical difficulties.”

No way was he going to tell them what had happened in that bathroom.

Chiaki said, “By the way, Kazuichi, where’s your hat?” 

Everyone looked at her. 

“That’s a random question,” said Sonia. 

Kazuichi said, “Uh…it got dirty. I washed it, then I forgot to dry it.”

“Oh,” she said, then spontaneously fell asleep. Three or four seconds later, she woke back up and continued as if no time had passed. “Anyway, Hajime’s in my cabin. I’m sure he’d like to get unshrunk.” 

They walked to Chiaki’s cabin, and on the way they encountered Peko and Fuyuhiko. Both were carrying swimsuits. 

The two students were shocked to see the Ultimate Breeder standing ten feet tall. 

Gundham told them they'd found the culprit who'd been shrinking people, and ushered them inside Chiaki’s cabin.

Once inside, Gundham restored both Hajime and himself to normal size.

“What a perv!” said Fuyuhiko, once the story had been told to him and Peko. “Trying to mess with a lady like that!”

“He is without honor,” said Peko, hand instinctively touching her sword. She put her hand back down. 

“Kazuichi, you can’t go around shrinking people,” said Hajime. “Gundham could have died! And thanks to you, I got shrunk right across the table from Nagito. _Nagito!”_

The air felt charged. Everyone wanted to beat Kazuichi up.

“Huh?” came a voice through the open window. “Is someone calling me?”

They turned. Hajime opened the door. The Ultimate Lucky Student was standing there aimlessly without a care in the world. Everyone stopped talking. “What’s going on?” Nagito said.

His classmates’ lips were sealed. “Nothing.”

“Really?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "I’d hate to miss something important.”

There was silence.

“Ah,” he said slowly, “it must be an Ultimate thing. Not something a lowly worm like me could understand.”

Kazuichi said, “We were just…eh…talking about our talents! And we didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. Since you’re just the lucky student and all.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” the boy with the wild hair said. He took in each of their faces, beaming with admiration. “I do… _love_ to hear about your talents.” He shivered, and the extreme pleasure on his face was incongruous, disturbing. At the very least, it belonged on somebody getting the best massage ever. 

Nagito said to Hajime, "Hey, Hajime, you’re back to normal! Did you solve the mystery?”

“We all did,” he said.

Sonia acted cheerful despite her nervousness. “Everything’s all good now, so no worries!”

“I see,” Nagito smiled. “Well, have a pleasant day.” He ambled away, hands in his pockets. 

"He’s a strange one,” Sonia said to Gundham.

"Nagito does not think like the rest of us," said Gundham. "His morality is grey, and his thoughts are even more opaque."

"Way nicer way than I woulda put it," said Fuyuhiko.

As their odd classmate disappeared into the distance, everyone felt like they could relax.

But there was still the question of what to do with Kazuichi.

“This technology is very powerful,” Peko said solemnly. “It could have led to disaster had someone with nefarious intentions gotten ahold of it.”

“Speakin' of which, let’s shrink the little bastard!" said Fuyuhiko. "Let him see how it feels!"

“So shall the shadow of justice fall over him,” said Gundham. 

“Aww,” said Sonia. "You have such a way with words!"

Peko said, “As Ultimate Swordswoman, I’m quite vigilant. If we shrink him in my room, I can keep an eye on him. The slightest noise is enough to wake me.”

“No,” said Hajime, “if he was in a girl's room, he’d just enjoy it. He can stay with me.”

"I wouldn't enjoy it!" said Kazuichi. "I swear!" 

Hajime ignored him. He thought, _SOMETHING’S going on with Peko and Fuyuhiko. They shouldn't have to deal with Kazuichi._

Peko and the other students soon agreed with Hajime. They left Chiaki's cabin and walked into Hajime's, ready to deliver Kazuichi's punishment.


	14. Shrinking the Shrinker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class debates who should shrink Kazuichi and whether they should even shrink him at all. They decide to shrink him for two days as punishment for what he did.

“N-No,” Kazuichi begged his classmates. “Please. Don’t shrink me!”

The frightened guy was backed up against Hinata’s desk. Peko held the device. Everyone was shouting, and some students were even pointing at him.

“Screw you, Kazuichi!”

“We should shrink him and keep him that way!”

The group was starting to feel like a vengeful mob. Gundham didn’t like it.

“Everyone, this man’s crimes have definitely earned a punishment,” the Ultimate Breeder said. He pointed at the small black remote. “But…should we really be using this shrink ray? Does such power truly belong in mortal hands?”

“Gundham has a point,” said Hajime Hinata. “If we start using this, it’s a slippery slope. Are we just gonna shrink everyone we don’t like?”

Chiaki added, “And what if the machine found its way into the wrong hands? Like, a really malicious person who wanted to use it to win the Killing Game?”

Sonia looked at Hajime, Chiaki, and Gundham. She couldn’t believe it. Were they going to prevent justice from being served?

“Seriously, you guys? We have to shrink him,” said Sonia. “It’s only fair to let him know what it feels like!”

Hajime said, “I disagree. This punishment could easily go wrong. Maybe we should just tie him up for a while instead.”

Several people protested.

The Ultimate Breeder extended his arm. “If you insist, I’ll do it.” Peko gave Gundham the device. “But once he’s shrunk, no one is to harm him.” He realized that sounded a bit tender-hearted. “As a dark sorcerer, of course…I do not need any more blood on my hands.”

“I agree,” said Sonia. “Kazuichi needs to learn a lesson, but we don’t want him hurt or killed.”

“That’s fair,” said Peko sternly.

“After Kazuichi’s been shrunk for two days,” said Chiaki, “when he gets back to normal size, can we vote on whether or not to destroy the device? Or hide it somewhere most people can’t find it?”

Hajime, Gundham, and several other students agreed with her.

“For now, let’s get this over with,” said Fuyuhiko. 

The would-be sorcerer adjusted the shrinking device, pointed it at the frightened Kazuichi and pressed it with a light click.

Kazuichi gasped. He could feel his body sinking down, like a descending elevator, but at the same time he felt the sensation of being pressed to the floor of an elevator going up. His classmates’ legs, the floor lamp, and everything else expanded upwards. 

Soon his classmates loomed over him, their faces full of astonishment, and Kazuichi barely came up to the tops of their shoes. 

_There’s bolts and screws taller than me,_ Kazuichi realized. He was starting to break out in a cold sweat. “G-Guys?” 

Gundham’s hand came out of the sky to pick Kazuichi up. The pink haired boy recoiled, but he couldn’t resist being clasped between two sickly-pale fingers the color of deep-sea fish. His heart was thudding in fear.

_I’m a sitting duck like this!_

_Is…is this how Sonia felt?_

There were a couple terrifying seconds of nausea as Kazuichi was lifted into the air. But before long, he felt his feet touching Hajime’s desk.

“Here,” Gundham said, setting him down gently. Hajime had found a clear shoe box for Kazuichi to stay in, and he brought it to the desk. Peko cut holes in the top with one of her knives. (“Jeez! How many weapons does one girl need?!” said Fuyuhiko.) Slowly, Gundham lowered his shrunken classmate into it. 

“For the next two days, you shall reflect on the error of your ways!” the sorcerer said. 

“Like a time-out!” Monomi piped up. 

“Monomi’s still here?” said Fuyuhiko in surprise.

“I didn’t want to interfere in your group decision-making process!” she said. “It’s a wonderful team-building exercise! I would only interfere if you tried to hurt him.”

Hajime leaned over to look at the box on his desk. “I’ll bring you food later, Kazuichi. And since no one can enter the cabin without the student handbook, you should be safe enough here.”

Then Chiaki’s gigantic face appeared, filling up the front wall of Kazuichi’s prison. Her pale pink eyes stared at him in wonder, then she turned back to her classmates.

“After dinner, we should shrink some of his things from the garage and put them inside so he can work on his mechanic stuff,” she said. “I don’t want him to get too bored.”

“Th-That would be great,” Kazuichi said. 

The group began moving towards the door to leave. The Ultimate Princess looked at Gundham and smiled. As they started to walk away, the Ultimate Mechanic in the box yelled, “M-Miss Sonia! I’m sorry! I’m sorry about everything! I shouldn’t have shrunk you, it’s just, I really like you, and…”

She turned around, feeling annoyed. “I don’t care what your reason was. Shrinking someone and kidnapping them is wrong!”

“I’m sorry, that was bad! I should never have done it! B-But I wasn’t gonna hurt you! I’d never hurt you, Miss Sonia! I just wanted to protect you-“

“Silence!” cried Gundham with a raised hand.

Sonia looked at Kazuichi again. She frowned. “You’re a selfish creep,” she said. You might have a crush on me, but you don’t really care about me or my feelings. Goodbye.”

Outside, Gundham said to Sonia, “That was quite the icy glare of justice. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

As the last of Kazuichi’s classmates walked out the door, Kazuichi sank to the floor of the box. _I’m such an idiot. I should never have used the shrinking device. Is…is that really what I am? A selfish creep?_ The shrunken mechanic put his head in his hands.

Unseen, a small brown snake moved quickly under the door just before the last person left.


	15. Tanaka the Forbidden One and the Princess of Darkness Succumb to Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Kazuichi imprisoned, and everyone else off at dinner, Gundham and Sonia make sweet sweet love.

It was evening now, but Gundham and Sonia weren’t hungry. They were so glad to be together, dinner was the last thing on their mind. 

“You saved me, Gundham. Thank you so much!”

“Of course, my Dark Princess! I couldn’t let that infuriating imp trifle with you. He had to be stopped, no matter the cost. Of course, my Dark Devas are the courageous creatures who actually dealt the finishing blow.” 

If it weren't for the hamsters pressing the button on the shrink ray, things could have gone quite differently. 

Sonia kissed each of them on the head, and then she kissed Gundham. 

As they headed to Sonia’s cabin together, the Ultimate Breeder’s arms around her, the princess giggled all of a sudden. “What’s funny?” Gundham wondered.

“I was just remembering when you hadoukened Kazuichi. That was hilarious.”

“Heheh,” the sorcerer chuckled. “That was just a quick feint to surprise him.”

“Well, it worked!” You might not have heard, but I laughed for like ten seconds after that happened.” She made a fierce expression. “HADOUUKEN!” she cried, acting out the attack.

“You’re adorable when you do that," he smiled.

She giggled, putting her arm around him. “It was adorable when you did it too.”

When they got to her cabin, Sonia told Gundham her deepest desires-they were trapped on this island in a killing game, after all, and neither knew how long they would survive. 

Gundham beamed with joy. “I did not want to trouble you, princess, but that’s just what I’ve been dreaming of! Our lovemaking will be _legendary!”_ he cried. 

“Yes, Gundham! I can’t wait!” Her heart fluttered with excitement.

Gundham slipped his black coat off his broad shoulders and set it on her coat rack. He removed his pants from his lanky, strong legs. 

Sonia’s eyebrows went up. She had never seen quite this much of Gundham before, and she liked what she saw.

Gundham took his Dark Devas out of his purple scarf and placed them inside of his hamster cage. From a bag in his pocket, he produced a special treat that they craved. The hamsters jumped up and down with joy. They began chomping away at the snack. Gundham said, “You earned all this and much more today.”

Sonia smiled. Right now, Gundham was wearing nothing but a white shirt and purple scarf. She admired his muscled back, briefly turned from her as he doted on his animals. He was her favorite kind of man – both kind and powerful.

The tall sorcerer turned around and looked at Sonia, full of anticipation for her.

While gazing at him earlier, she’d removed her shirt, tights, and skirt. She lay there on the bed now, admiring him, but feeling a little nervous. 

“J-Just be gentle,” she cautioned. She knew Gundham hadn’t done this before. “Don’t jump right into it. I don’t want any of my time with you to cause pain…Massage me, you have to make me ache for you first!”

Gundham approached her with confidence. “Kehehe! My princess, though you be the first mortal I consort with, do not fear! Any true sorcerer knows that magic is not instant! It needs to build, and build, til the right moment comes for release!”

He was right next to her now. 

“That’s right! Oh, call me princess again!” Sonia said, covering him with kisses as he swept her into his arms. 

After making out, Sonia was electrified. 

Gundham said, “What would you have me do, princess?”

She told him. 

Around twenty minutes later, after bringing her to ecstasy, Gundham rose up from where he had knelt before her. As he wiped his mouth and fixed her with his burning eyes, Sonia begged him to enter her. 

“HAHAH! Prepare to experience the FULL MEASURE of my power!”

He had a lot of power to give. So much that it frightened her a little. 

“Gently, Gundham!”

“Oh. Right.” 

When they finally united, there was no pain, only joy. And despite the somewhat silly bombast Gundham affected, what he did to Sonia was pure magic. She loved him, ‘dark sorcerer’ schtick and all. And he loved her too. 

“Oh, Gundham!” the long-haired girl sighed in ecstasy. “Oh! You’re extraordinary!”

“N-Not as extraordinary as you, Sonia. Oh, S-SONIA!” he cried in delight, collapsing into her arms. 

A couple of minutes later, they were exhausted. The Ultimate Breeder’s hand traced absentmindedly down her back. 

“This may be the first time…Tanaka the Forbidden One has truly succumbed to desire,” he said, and looked at her tenderly. “I love you, Sonia. With all of my soul.”

“Oh, my God. I love you too, Gundham.”

She held him. And before too long, they drifted off into a nap.


	16. A Frightening Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime and Gundham return to find Kazuichi fighting a snake.

A couple of hours later, a warm rain had begun to fall. Everyone was walking back from dinner. Gundham and Sonia had woken from their nap. Peko had planned a special girls’ night, and Chiaki, Hiyoko, Mikan, and Sonia were headed to the basement of the dining hall to play board games together and talk. Ibuki wanted to go, but she had spent a day swimming and hiking with Akane and Nekomaru, and decided to take an early bedtime.

After the long day, Hajime was planning to relax in his cabin for a while. Gundham insisted on coming to the cabin just for a moment so he could see how the shrunken Kazuichi was doing. Secretly, he hoped Kazuichi was miserable. 

When Hajime and Gundham entered the cabin, they were shocked.

 _“W-What the?!”_ cried Gundham. 

“Kazuichi!” Hajime gasped. 

Inside the clear box, Kazuichi was locked in battle with a small brown snake. The frightened mechanic was shouting at the attacking reptile, blocking it repeatedly with his arms and legs. The snake wove silently from side to side, biting the man’s shoulders. 

_Curses!_ thought Gundham. _I wanted him to suffer, not to meet his end!_

The two classmates ran towards the desk.

Hajime tore the lid off the box. His hand flew down to destroy the snake, but Gundham’s bandaged forearm blocked his. “Don’t kill it!”

“OFF, BEAST!” Gundham bellowed at the snake. He struck a pose and fixed it with a threatening stare. The little snake took one look at him and fled from the box, its prey forgotten. Gundham didn’t look where the snake had gone. He’d find it later. 

“KAZUICHI! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

Hajime just stared.

The tiny, jumpsuited man fell to his knees. He stared up at his classmates’ giant faces from the bottom of the box. He looked traumatized and relieved. “I-It’s a miracle! Thank you, Gundham! And Hajime!” He spat out a few expletives. “That crazy snake could have killed me!”

“I’m really sorry, Kazuichi,” Hajime said. “We’re glad you’re alive.”

“Apologies,” said Gundham, looking troubled. “We never wished for you to come to harm."

"B-But I thought you hated me!" Kazuichi sputtered.

"We don't want you to _die!"_ said Hajime. 

Gundham said to Kazuichi, "I don't like you. I can't respect you after what you did to Sonia. But as Supreme Overlord of Ice, no one but me is permitted to seal your fate."

A couple of tears fell from the Ultimate Mechanic's face before he could wipe them away. He hated showing weakness like this, but he couldn’t help it.

Gundham asked Kazuichi, “To be fair, what did you think would happen when you shrank me and Sonia? Being such a small size is hazardous on this island. Either of us could have suffered a wretched fate."

Kazuichi still seemed wound up and panicked. “I’m sorry! Th-This whole thing was a stupid mistake! I should have never shrunk you guys!”

Hajime said, “How did the snake get in?”

“Through _-sob-_ those holes in the top of the box.”

Hajime turned to the Ultimate Breeder. He said, “What I don’t understand is how that snake could have gotten in here. I left the window open, but just a crack! And there’s a screen on it!”

“There’s no way to really keep the wildlife outdoors when you’re in the tropics,” said Gundham. “My cabin recently became home to two lizards. They don’t hurt me, and they keep the mosquitoes down.”

Kazuichi stared sadly into the distance, his knees up to his chest. “I’m such an idiot. If I died, it’s not like anyone would care anyway.”

Gundham had no idea what to say here.

Hajime said, “Kazuichi…no one wants you to die. We’re really sorry this happened to you.”

“I did something stupid, and I hurt Miss Sonia, and…now everyone hates me. And a frickin’ snake tried to _eat me!”_

Hajime put his palms up. “Hey, man…”

“I’m a loser. I should never have come here. I should just have stayed at home!”

“Regardless,” Gundham said, tiring of him, “we are here. We are trapped in this infernal game until Monokuma frees us. If you could take no for an answer, this never would have happened. The last thing Sonia and I need is an slimy stalker who keeps annoying us and forcing us to take drastic measures.”

He turned to Hajime Hinata. “The island just isn’t safe for someone this small. Hajime, we can’t keep him here.”

His classmate nodded. “We can’t ensure his safety.”

Gundham sighed. He looked down at Kazuichi. “Since it seems every beast on this island wants to kill you, we’ll unshrink you now. But do not harass the princess. if you really care for her, you’ll respect her wishes. Don’t stalk her, don’t ask her to go out with you, and DON’T keep trying to impress her.” He spoke again in a quiet, menacing rumble. “And if you lay a hand on Sonia again, I swear to all the gods of the ages, _I'll kick your ass into the next dimension.”_

Kazuichi gulped. Red and grey eyes glared down at him. 

_I guess…I guess that’s it, then._

He squeaked out, “O…Okay.”

“Now let’s restore you to normal.” 

While Hajime removed the device from his desk drawer, Gundham reached into the clear box and picked Kazuichi up. The Ultimate Breeder set him down carefully on the floor, then he and Hajime stepped back. There was a beam of light, and within seconds, the tiny man was back to his original size.

Kazuichi touched his clothing with relief. 

For the first time, Hajime noticed several slashes and punctures - on the upper torso area, as well as on the forearms of Kazuichi's yellow jumpsuit. Several of the wounds were bleeding. 

“Thank you!” Kazuichi said. “Thank you for saving and unshrinking me.”

His eyes fell on Gundham and Hajime. Like usual, they were both a few inches taller than he was.

“Hey, g-guys, any chance you could make me just a _couple_ inches taller?”

“No,” said Hajime. 

Gundham seemed exasperated by this entire day. “Just…return to your cabin,” he said.


	17. A Talk With Nekomaru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi walks to the beach that night and ends up having a heart-to-heart with Nekomaru. The Ultimate Trainer gives him some advice about Sonia.

Kazuichi exited Hajime’s cabin, dazed and overwhelmed, and walked down the path. 

But he didn’t stop at his own cabin. 

He continued walking, on and on, until he got to the beach. He went over a small dune and out towards the shore.

It was dark here, the only light coming from streetlights behind him on the distant path. The waves broke rhythmically on the shore. 

Now that he was sure he was alone, Kazuichi sank down to the damp sand. He put his head in his hands and cried. 

_How could it have come to this? I should never have tried to shrink Sonia. I…I tried to shrink her and carry her off. What the hell? Is this what I am, just a pathetic stalker? A stalker who became a bad guy, putting some girl and her boyfriend in danger?_

_Is that really what I am?_

_Am I a bad person?_

As the warm tears fell, his self-loathing turned to self-pity. 

_No one likes me. Girls never like me. My plan failed, I got humiliated in front of everyone, and now everyone’s laughing at me._

_Maybe…I should walk into that surf, and never come back…_

“Hey bro, what are you doin’ out here?”

Kazuichi turned, startled by the resonant voice. 

“N-Nekomaru?”

The Ultimate Trainer was right behind him. Which was odd – normally Kazuichi would hear those jangling chains around his neck.

His hulking classmate with the booming voice looked concerned. “You alright, man?”

Kazuichi looked at him, pained, then turned his head back around – the hated tears pouring from his eyes. 

“I…I fucked up, Nekomaru. I fucked up, and now everyone hates me. Especially Sonia.”

Nekomaru looked down at him. His voice was softer than usual-although it was still quite loud.

“Hey, man. It’s none of my business, but…if you wanna talk, I’m all ears. I promise to keep it confidential and shit.”

What harm could it do? Kazuichi had already hit rock bottom.

“S-Sure,” he said. Nekomaru sat down on the sand, just a few feet away from him. They both faced the ocean. 

“The thing is…I really like Sonia.”

“Yeah, no shit!” said the Ultimate Trainer. He laughed. Kazuichi frowned at him, but then he realized Nekomaru wasn't laughing maliciously. He was just a jolly guy.

Kazuichi turned back towards the sea. “And I just thought, like, if she got to know me, she’d realize how cool I am.”

“Kazuichi,” Nekomaru said, “I’ll be real with you. Sonia doesn’t like you like that. And I know you like her and stuff, but you can’t keep showing up where she is and trying so hard, bro. It’s not going to change.”

“I know, but like…I love her, man. I really do!”

“Sucks when someone isn’t into you,” Nekomaru replied. “I get it, man.”

“It hurts to see her with that chuuni jerk, Gundham.”

“Gundham’s not a jerk,” Nekomaru objected. “He’s weird, but he’s not shitty to anybody. Just ‘cause she likes him doesn’t make him a jerk.”

“I guess. He…he did save me from that snake.”

“Snake?” Nekomaru hadn’t seen what happened earlier. Of course. “Damn. Musta been a pretty big one, from the look of your clothes.”

“Yeah it was. It’s…nevermind.” He sighed, getting back to the original topic. “I’m the jerk here, aren’t I?”

The pink haired guy explained more about what had happened that day.

“Yeah you are. Imma be real with you - shrinking someone without their permission and trying to MAKE them like you is messed up.”

“That’s the worst part. I…I knew it was bad, but I still did it. I’m such an idiot. Seriously, what’s wrong with me?”

“You’re not an idiot. You did a fucked up thing. And I get it, you’re hung up on a girl. It sucks, but…you gotta deal with it. I used to be super into this girl at my gym…back before this trip…but she didn’t like me. Wasn’t rude about it, but she just didn’t like me, and I had to deal with that. No girl’s, like, obliged to like you. Sometimes they just don’t. But if you try to meet more people, and don’t act desperate about it, sometimes you’ll find a girl who does. And who likes the same shit you do. Like me and Akane.”

“You two together is like fucking _destiny,”_ Kazuichi said. “I…” 

He couldn’t believe how much he was opening up to Nekomaru, but he might as well continue. The guy had helped him out before.

“I want something like that.”

“It’s pretty fucking sweet,” said Nekomaru. “I’m not gonna lie.”

Not wanting to brag, the Ultimate Trainer said, “Kazuichi, man, you’ll find your chick someday. It’s just not gonna be Sonia. You’re not entitled to a girl just ‘cause you like her, just like a couch potato’s not entitled to sick abs just ‘cause they want them! And believe me, I’ve seen a LOTTA couch potatoes…”

Kazuichi still looked sad. But for the first time during their conversation, he turned his head to look at Nekomaru. His eyes were dry. “Th-thanks, Nekomaru. For your help.”

“No problem, Kazuichi. I’m always ready to help a bro out!”

Jeez. Of all the people Kazuichi pictured himself having a really deep talk with, he never would have expected Nekomaru. It was weird. This whole thing had felt kind of like therapy.

Not that he needed that or anything.

The Ultimate Trainer turned and looked towards the path. “Anyway, I gotta go.”

The pink haired guy said, “You won’t, like, tell the others I told you all this stuff, right?”

“Course not. It’s just bro talk, real shit.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Kazuichi straightened up his posture a little, done being vulnerable. “It’s all good! See ya around, then.”

“See ya.”

Kazuichi’s ridiculously buff classmate started back off towards the path, his traditional sandals leaving twin marks in the sand. 

_I oughta get back too._

After a couple more minutes, he sighed. He threw a sand dollar into the water, then began heading back towards the cabins. 

He realized he really had been selfish. And he’d been desperate. 

_Nekomaru’s right. Sonia’s…never gonna like me. But…it’s not the end of the world. It sucks, but I gotta stop worrying so much about her. Stop talking to her and thinking about her so much._

_Someday, I’ll meet someone who’s into me. It’ll be the best thing in the world when it does._

_It’ll happen._

_I just gotta have faith._


	18. The Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the story. Kazuichi's shrink ray is destroyed, and the mechanic apologizes for his actions. A character who didn't witness any of the previous events misinterprets what happened.

The next morning, Hajime took the shrink remote out of his drawer. As the sun rose on the walkway in front of the cabins, Gundham, Sonia, Nagito, and a couple more classmates watched while their impromptu leader took a big rock and smashed the device to pieces. 

“Thank God that’s over,” said Fuyuhiko. “I couldn’t deal with any more of that shit.”

“What a relief,” said Sonia, leaning her head on Gundham’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Gundham said. “Such fiendish and unnatural human technology will never darken our lives again.”

“It was too powerful for us to have,” said Hajime to all of them. “We had to destroy it.”

There were nods of approval.

Ibuki, though she missed all the events of the last few days, witnessed the device’s destruction. 

“What’s going on?” she asked Chiaki.

“They’re destroying Kazuichi’s shrink ray,” Chiaki said, and fell asleep for a few seconds.

Kazuichi was standing right next to her.

Ibuki turned to the mechanic with amazement. “Kazuichi, you made a _shrink ray?!_ I knew you were good with mechanical stuff, but _wow!_ It must have been super powerful if they had to destroy it!”

The guitar slung over her shoulder bounced as she talked.

“Heh,” he laughed without much emotion. He put his hand behind his head and scratched under his beanie. “I didn’t make it, I just found it.”

“Aw, bummer! If you created technology so powerful everyone vowed to destroy it, that would be _so metal._ Did y’all at least get into some wacky hijinks?”

He chuckled sheepishly. “I…I guess you could say that.”

The Ultimate Musician grinned. “Well, if you ever do invent something cool like that, make sure to let Ibuki know! She’ll be glad to test it out.”

“I…usually just work on vehicles, but sure.” He couldn’t help but smile at the silly suggestion. “If I make something awesome, I’ll let you know.”

“Bye, everyone!” the rocker chick exclaimed before bouncing off to practice her music.

Kazuichi turned to Gundham and Sonia. Gundham frowned. Sonia held him tighter, looking slightly afraid. “I…I really am sorry, you guys. I was being selfish, and an idiot. I…won’t bother you ever again.”

His classmates’ hard looks softened just a little.

“We’d appreciate that,” said Gundham.

“Thank you,” said Sonia, clearly still upset at the mechanic.

 _She has every right to be,_ he thought. 

Just then, Monokuma appeared.

“NOPE!” said Hajime before the creature could open its mouth. “I don’t even _wanna_ know what you’re about to say, Monokuma. Everyone, back to your cabins.”

“What?” said the robotic bear. “Really?”

They dispersed.

Monokuma stood in the pathway all alone. “Darn it,” he said. “Guess no-one wants to hear the location of the _other_ shrink ray.”


End file.
